Longer Days
by Ms. Desiree
Summary: A set of five drabbles: Kazahaya and Rikuo go on summer vacation - well, not exactly. First incursion in the unknown world of published fiction. KXR
1. Fitting

*****Longer Days**

Author: Ms. Desiree

Fandom: Gouhou Drug

Author Notes: Although this is not my first GD fic, that's the first time I've gathered enough courage to submit one of my fics to public appreciation. Also, English's not my native language (I'm brazilian :D), so eventual corrections are more than welcome. Thank you for reading my fics, hope they can bring you something good. :)

I was sick when writing this (especially #1 to #4 - cough, fever, sore throat... thanks God it wasn't swine flu!), but I was also bored to death (vacations, you know...) and craving for GD. The logical result from the confluence of these factors was a Kazahaya x Rikuo fic - better saying, five of them - written by me. As I prefer to write short stories better than longer ones, things worked for me like this: one main theme - summer - and one main situation. Starting from them, I adapted five stories, each one of them with its corresponding prompt (randomly chosen, in a Portuguese-English dictionary): #1. acrostic, #2. fever, #3. place, #4. reinstallation and #5. sortilege. I've never done this before, and, for what I know, it's an original idea. God help me. XD

**Disclaimer: I own none of the characters; they all belong to CLAMP. The only things here that belong to me are the strange ideas I take out of my delirous brain.**

***Fitting**

Author: Ms. Desiree

Fandom:Gouhou Drug

Prompt: #1. Acrostic

Classification: Romance/ Humor - K+

*

It was a frequent occurrence, on Kazahaya's life, a familiar feeling of astonishment concerning the way some things seem to fit in his world - at least when it concerned his obligations on the Green Drugstore. Some weeks ago, in a little promising and cloudy afternoon, Kakei had asked him (very mysteriously) to take his and Rikuo's summer kimonos outside to get some fresh air. The sunny day after came with the news that the two boys had just been hired to another one of those shady Kakei's jobs, which included a middle-period work in an ice-cream store in a coastal tourist city. Oh, and as a caution measure they should take the summer kimonos with them, because what if there were some matsuri festival being held and they needed to go investigate? In spite of Kakei's innocent smile that often accompanied those kinds of talk, Kazahaya knew better and had already learnt enough not to be fooled anymore. 'What if'? Hah.

Sometimes, the way things seemed to fit in Kazahaya's life would give him the chills, and that meant Kakei was the great puppetmaster. And he was the puppet.

Shit.

"Don't get in the way" Rikuo (puppet number two) whispered, moving Kazahaya away carefully by the waist, passing by to deliver two sundaes for a pair of hyperventilating girls.

Kazahaya growled. There was Rikuo Himura, with his unfriendly face and colorful shorts, smashing the maiden's hearts. Rikuo was definitely a misfit piece in the strange chain of events of his life - and not just because of the bizarre combination of colorful shorts and heavy t-shirt, that Rikuo insisted on wearing as uniform on the ice-cream store (huff, not that the girls seemed to mind it, Kazahaya tought). Not so long ago, Kazahaya was a treasure between treasures - raised in a house that smelled like daffodils and fresh grass, protected and severed from the rest of the world, sleeping and waking up beside Kei. What was he now? Rescued from the death by a sarcastic and bad-tempered roomate, working in a series of abnormal jobs for an inhuman and controlling employer. And his lover.

Kazahaya repeated the growl and started preparing a cup of banana split for a very elegant customer, that wouldn't stop looking at Rikuo. Whom, Kazahaya noted, had just unglued himself from the pair oh hyperventilating girls with two tiny pieces of paper in hands. Following the direction of Kazahaya's glance, he shook the paper between his fingers and smirked:

"I didn't ask for anything. They shoved it in my hand."

"As if I cared about this kind of thing." Kazahaya finished the banana split with a deformed ball of ice-cream, placed half-heartedly into the cup.

Passing by his side, Rikuo said, the voice low:

"There's no need to be jealous" and smiled again, the devil.

Kazahaya dropped the cup of dessert on the counter - and the worst of all was that the customer was STILL looking at stupid Rikuo, and didn't even noticed the blonde's poorly done work. He decided he would be mature, the complete opposite of that jerk that was his roomate, and managed not to explode in a storm of curses. Honestly, Rikuo was an amorphous piece, sometimes fitting and sometimes not in the mess of happenings that was Kazahaya's life. How was it called, that kind of composition in wich the initials of a word, placed in order, would form a phrase? (Kei had taught him about this a long time ago, but he had never been one to marvel with the mysteries of literature and language) Acrostic, acorstic, or something similar. Rikuo was just like it - Kazahaya had no acess to all the parts that composed him, so it was impossible to understand the whole picture. Well, sometimes he would think he had - geez, the jerk was just some tattooed, bear-like bastard -, but he often would be surprised with actions and words and attitudes that indicated another Rikuo. A Rikuo he just couldn't reduce to a few insults, who never revealed himself entirely, only leaving clues about his existence. Somebody able to induce some uncomfortable chills on Kazahaya's belly when stroking his face or praising his beauty, or gently leading him by the waist to get him off his way. Whenever Kazahaya came across this things that he couldn't understand, that didn't fit in the image of stupid-bastard Rikuo that he was so accustomed with, he would be in a curious mixture of daze, disbelief and confusion. What else could possibly be there that he didn't know yet, that he had never seen before?

"Hey, time to close."

Blinking, Kazahaya came back to his reality of ice-cream store employee. He sighed - it had been a long, tiresome day. Sitting in a chair, he supported his head in his hands, massaging the temples.

"I'm coming."

Rikuo shot him a displeased look while locking the glass-made door, and then passed by his side carrying the plastic-coated menus.

"I've never thought that working in an ice-cream store would be more tiresome than working with Kakei-san," the blonde complained, more for himself than for his coworker.

He had just gotten up from the chair when he felt, light against his scalp, Rikuo's large hand entangling in his hair - long fingers moving slowly, massaging the skin.

"Soon the job'll be over and then we go back home. Besides" he added with a wry smile "the weather forecast announced rain for the day after tomorrow."

As Rikuo moved away, Kazahaya contemplated once more how perfectly some things seem to fit in his life.

Like Rikuo's hand in his nape.

*

Notes: Phew, that was tiresome. This fic was originally written in Portuguese (as well as the 4 other ones that come after it), so I spent all my Sunday night, last day of college vacation, translating it. I'm sorry for the misspelling, I'd really like to have my fics betaed, but as I'm a newbie in fanfiction world... I simply don't know how! D:

This apart, I've really missed writing! :) Maybe this feelings transformed in a large dose of inspiration, cause I really liked the way this fic developed itself. And with such a difficult prompt! I'm very satified. I really liked the end as well.

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	2. Magnet

***Magnet**

Author: Ms. Desiree

Fandom:Gouhou Drug

Prompt: #2. Fever

Classification: Romance/ Humor - T

**Disclaimer: I own none of the characters; they all belong to CLAMP. The only things here that belong to me are the strange ideas I take out of my delirous brain.**

*

Honestly, the way things were going, that ice-cream store was starting to look more like a fashion catwalk than a proper ice-cream store, Rikuo tought, irritated. It was the third time already he had seen the same thing happen - a gang of idiots walking right past the store, until they saw the idiot Kazahaya by the glassdoor. That was the third bunch of guys that changed their minds after seeing who exactly was indoors, serving sundaes naively with that beautiful face and slender body of his. A damn magnet of trouble - and not even having a clue about it.

This time it was a group of four, shamelessly looking at Kazahaya's butt. Rikuo snapped his tongue, angry. The old times when guys flirted only with girls where totally over, apparently.

And his idiot coworker was still there, serving the table right next to the punks and showing off his tight jeans for anyone to see, don't giving a damn about what that bunch of marginals would do with the image later. When one of them leisurely licked his lip and raised his arm to call Kazahaya - ready to attack -, Rikuo anticipated himself and knocked the notebook on their table.

"Can I get your order?" he said, killer vibes echoing.

A little later, when passing by Kazahaya, he repeated the sentence he was starting to get tired of using in that ice-cream store - "stay away from those guys." And, once more, Kazahaya didn't understand why.

"Why is it?" he asked, a wrinkle of annoyance appearing behind the bangs.

"Just do it."

Idiot.

*

"Can I have an orange juice, please? Oh, and... no ice, please."

Rikuo turned around to verify who had asked such an uncommon thing, given the circunstances - summer heat, ice-cream store.

"Eeh? No ice?" Kazahaya repeated, facing the young, black-haired customer.

"I've got the flu" the other one explained, smiling.

"Aah, I see", Kazahaya retributed the smile, "It'll take just a minute."

Rikuo turned his attention back to the strawberry sundae at his hands.

Too smiley.

*

"Ah, good morning Sasazaki-san!"

"Good morning, Kudou-kun."

"Same as always?" Kazahaya smiled.

"Today, I'll have an pineapple juice" the man smiled back, "please"

"Ok!"

It was the fifth day in a roll that the black-haired man of unfaltering smile appeared at the ice-cream store to buy... a juice. Always to Kazayaha. Always shamlessly showing that perfect teeth of his. The flu, the rain of three days ago, nothing seemed to move Sasazaki-san away from his goal of drinking one glass of juice a day. And, apparently, not even the fever - at least, that had been the lame excuse the man had offered the day before, when Kazahaya asked why was he so flushed.

"I think I have a fever" he had said, the bastard.

"You must be take better care of your health, Sasazaki-san", replied the clueless idiot. "What if you got the swine flu?"

Incredible. Kazahaya really seemed to have no idea that the flu was a lie, that Sasazaki-san's main interest wasn't his delicious juices and that maybe the idiot was too beautiful for his own good.

On that day, unlike the others, the man arrived later than usual. After finishing the juice, he stayed there, seated, following Kazahaya with his eyes and twisting his hands. It was almost time to close the store.

But it was only after the man licked his lip - slowly, leisurely - that Rikuo decided that the situation had gone too far already. Idiot Kazahaya needed his help again.

Bypassing the counter, he found the blonde taking off the apron.

"What happened to Sasazaki-san? Is he still here? I have to inform him that we're closing..."

"I will do this."

"Hm? No, I can..."

"Kazahaya" Rikuo called, obstructing the way between the counter with his arm, "you don't even suspect what kinds of things you provoke in guys like these, do you?"

He stopped, and faced his coworker - the image of innocence.

"What do you mean? What are you talking about, Rikuo? What kind of thing I could provo..."

"You're too irresistible and yet too naive" the other one explained, stepping closer and leaning over Kazahaya. "It's time for you to open this big eyes of yours and start to see the things how they really are."

And before Kazahaya snapped, he was already drawing near the table of the last customer of the ice-cream store.

"Excuse me" he said, "we're closing."

Sasazaki-san moved his eyes momentarily towards Kazayaha, before fixing his attention once more in the teen on his front.

"I'm waiting..."

"He's not coming" Rikuo interrupted, "you better can go away."

The black-haired man opened and closed his mouth, and only then gathered enough energy to talk again.

"I don't understand."

Rikuo leaned over te man, his right hand on the waist and the left one closed in a fist, onto the table. He asked himself, vaguely, if he was looking threatening enough.

"What I'm trying to say is that that guy over there" he indicated Kazahaya with a light nodding "is not available for you to amuse yourself. Do you understand now" he came closer "Sasazaki-san?"

Sasazaki moved in his chair, uncomfortable.

"I didn't know he had a lover."

Rikuo went back to his initial position, slowly.

"We're not lovers nor something of the kind" he said, and then added, to kill the faint light of hope that had ignited in the other man's eyes "but just because I'm saying this doesn't mean I can't desire Kazahaya exclusively for me" and so he smiled.

Sasazaki-san got up somewhat tipsy, and almost tumbled against the glassdoor. Rukuo smiled wryly.

This one was not coming back again. Good.

*

Notes: Jealous & angry & evil Rikuo + annoying Kazahaya = everything I may ask for in a fic. I really enjoyed writing this one, too. Rikuo trying to defend Kazahaya from predators is very cute. X) And poor Sasazaki-san! *I'm a failure for names, Jesus...* He was just looking for a date...

I tought the fics were going to be shorter after the first one, but... well, it's not happening like that. And I'm clearly not the one in control of this *nods for the muses*, so... hm, enjoy!

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	3. Somewhere, nowhere

***Somewhere, nowhere**

Author: Ms. Desiree

Fandom: Gouhou Drug

Prompt: #3. Place

Classification: Romance/ Humor - K

**Disclaimer: I own none of the characters; they all belong to CLAMP. The only things here that belong to me are the strange ideas I take out of my delirous brain.**

Author Notes: sorry for the delay! I've been really busy this past months, but there's always time to write a little more! X)

*

_"By my side's where you should always be, Kazahaya... and I'll always be with you"._

For a long, long time, Kazahaya had no doubts about this. He had been born to be with her - to be the brother, the friend, the protector, the warm hug and the welcoming arms, the kissing lips and the steady shelter. Kei was his place.

One day, when he couldn't keep this absolute union any longer, Kazahaya asked himself where would he belong now. Without her, what remained?

Half a people, dying in the snow.

_"Where did you come from?"_

Rikuo had asked him this a lot of times already, in many different ways - annoyed, at the first night after having rescued him from the streets; angry, when he discovered Kazahaya had no idea how to use a broom; curious, on one of the rare occasions he seemed willing to have a serious talk.

Kazahaya had never answered.

"Hey. You're going to fall off the cliff if you don't start paying attention."

He glanced sideways to his coworker and kept walking. Facing the ground, he noted that, really, a little more to the right and he would fall down.

Rikuo made an amused noise.

"Thinking twice, even if you fell you would land on all fours, so not problem."

"What the hell Rikuo, I am not a damn cat! You... stupid, mutant monster!"

Rikuo snorted again, apparently happy.

Kazahaya went back to his toughts, enraged. Rikuo was definitely an idiot, but at least the quarrel had made him forget about the strange feeling crackling on his chest. The scenery - trees, grass, stream, flowers - was painfully similar to the one where he grew up. That place was bringing back some unwelcome memories.

"...got anything?" Rikuo spoke again.

" Nope."

The other boy kept quiet for some seconds.

"Kakei said this was the route she took everyday to go from school to home, but it doesn't look very promising."

"This things happened a long time ago. Only very strong emotions remain."

"Hm. Well, so we need another cue."

Kazahaya didn't answered and fell silent again. Short after, Rikuo's voice resonated once more.

"You're too quiet. What's the matter?"

Kazahaya averted his eyes from the road to some unimportant, far away spot on the left.

"It's nothing. I was just thinking."

"Thinking about what?"

Kazahaya frowned.

"This place's similar to the place where I... where I grew up." He noticed what looked like a swallow, up in the sky. "I can't go back. It makes me think... that I have no place to call my own anymore. Nor somebody waiting for me." Kazahaya paused, then blushed, embarrased "It's nothing important, forget it."

The swallow was just a dot now, disappearing. Rikuo's steps kept rustling, alongside his own. When Kazahaya thought that was already safe to face the front again, a light punch hit his head.

"Ow! Wha... WHAT DID I DO???"

"Idiot. If you think Kakei and Saiga won't be waiting in the drugstore for you to deliver the damn letter we have to get" he paused, "you must have hit your head on some tree." He soothed his dark hair, exasperated, and faced the front again, a wrinkle of anger still on his forehead. "Don't ever repeat that. You have a place where to go back. And people waiting for you."

For some reason, Kazahaya felt a pleasant shiver went down his belly. And for some reason, Rikuo suddenly felt just a little bit attractive, with his downcast eyes and bangs wet from sweat. And once more, another unknown reason brought to his mind something Kakei had said the day after his arrival at Green Drugstore.

_"You can stay, if you want. We have room for one more here"._

He had found a humble and simple room, with two beds, two mattresses and two pillows; a small bathroom, with a blue toothbrush still in the package; a tidy kitchen, with a brand new bowl in the cupboard.

He remembered Kakei's feline smile, on that day.

Kazahaya felt like smiling too. Maybe he already had a place on that modest apartment, long before he had imagined.

*

Notes: And this is Angst!Kazahaya! *I don't like seeing Kazahaya depressed - it makes me kinda sad. He should shout, scream, fight with Rikuo, jump, run, land on all fours! XD* And to pair up with him, we have Rikuo trying to be nice, what is really cute. I have great difficulties with more vague and introspective stories like this one. It makes me insecure.

One more thing! Werepire-san and konkon-san (ola, hermano! XD): thank you very much for commenting! You two made my day with your kind words, really, and make me want to write more and better. *hearts*

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	4. Matsuri

******* Matsuri**

Author: Ms. Desiree

Fandom:Gouhou Drug

Prompt: #4. Reinstalation

Classification: Romance/ Humor - T

**Disclaimer: I own none of the characters; they all belong to CLAMP. The only things here that belong to me are the strange ideas I take out of my delirous brain.**

*

The matsuri was lovely. Lights, smells and sounds, hundreds of pretty girls wearing typical clothes - one of Japan's best summer festivals, like only a renowned touristic city like that one could do.

"I wanna eat one of those!"

And Kazahaya couldn't be happier.

"You really don't think about anything else but food, do you?"

Kazahaya closed his eyes and walked away.

"Geez Rikuo, leave me alone. Hey uncle, I'll have two of those!"

Rikuo glanced around - "Takeshi's yakissoba: the best soba of the city!", "Yoji's sukiyaki - great reinstalation! Come see our new stand!", "Delicious chocolate banana - only 400 yen!".

It would be a miracle if Kazahaya could survive this festival without a gigantic stomachache.

*

Kazahaya is the happier person on all the city, eating his third goddies portion of the night when Rikuo finds him again. He comes closer and leans his arms over the stand's balcony, right beside him.

"Is it good?"

"Hm" the other answers, distrustfully. "Yes."

"Great," his right hand supports his chin "enjoy it while you can, because we have to work later."

"I know," Kazahaya answers, his mouth full of takoyaki, "No need to remember me all the time, I'm not a child."

A sarcastic smile appears on Rikuo's face, as saying 'I have a really good answer to this, but I'll just keep silent'.

Kazahaya makes a great effort to ignore this - Rikuo definitively wouldn't ruin his fun.

Bored, Rikuo observes his workmate's meal. He eats like somebody that was kept starving for a long time (and yet doesn't know how to cook something edible. Impressive). The glutony's such that left marks on his face - a reddish stain on the cheek, standing out against the white of the skin.

Absentminded, Rikuo raises his thumb and rubs the red spot, in slow, circular movements - carefully, because it would be a sin to damage such a face.

When he withdraws the finger (maybe after a longer time that would be necessary to remove a simple sauce stain), Rikuo notes that, surprisingly, Kazahaya's face is red - indeed, redder than the sauce mark was. And that those round, imature green eyes of his are wide open, firmly staring at him.

Quickly, Rikuo decides to behave accordingly to the easier course of action he knows - also, the one he's most accustomed to use.

"If you don't learn to eat like an adult, I'll have to buy you a bib" he says, arming his most malicious smile.

Kazahaya takes some time to process the info, but as soon as he completes the proceeding:

"That's enough. ENOUGH! I won't stay a minute longer with a bastard like YOU!!!" and he goes away, stomping, fuming and cursing, carrying the leftovers of his takoyaki.

Rikuo sighs - what a pity. If they were free for the rest of the night, he could have tried another course of action.

*

"I don't believe it," Kazahaya stopped to verify if Rikuo wasn't around. "That JERK!!!"

Crouched near a beverage's stand, his backs leaning against the cheap wood chart, he kept repeating to himself all the reasons why Rikuo should be hated till the end of his life. He had got used doing this in three situations: when he was furious with his roomate, like now; when he was worried with his security, like the time Rikuo stayed three and a half days out, God knows where, and said no word about the issue; and the third situation, quite new but somewhat frequent lately, when strange thoughts and feelings insisted in indicate to Kazahaya that Rikuo was not that bad - was a very nice person, actually: he knew how to make good food, would help him with the most difficult chores on the drugstore, could be of some help on Kakei's jobs, with that insipid power of his. He even had a great body, to carry his own (unconscious) body when it was necessary. It was a good thing.

But being Kazahaya at the moment in the first kind of situation, all of his thoughts and words about Rikuo had the worse content possible.

"_Telling me those things, treating me like a child... how's the one that hasn't grown up yet, that keeps repeating that stupid provocation, huh? HIM! And that smile of the devil, what kind of smile is that?! He might have some very perverted things in mind to smile that way! Pervert!"_

Therefore, it seemed like an awful joke of the gods of fate that, looking at the crowd a moment later, the first person Kazahaya's eyes layed on was exactly Rikuo. On rescue of his roomate, of course - Kazahaya stiffens, trying to hide himself; Rikuo didn't see him yet.

Kazahaya enjoys for some moments (with a perverse kind of pleasure) the sight of Rikuo searching for him, turning his head to both sides, attentive to anyone that may look like him. Was that a wrinkle of worry on his forehead? Hah, he deserved it. That way he would learn not to treat other people like...

...why was he stopping? Someone had pulled the sleeve of his kimono… oh, girls. What a... what a bastard! Damn pervert, would he give up the search that easily to run after some women he just met?!!! WHAT A... ah, he's moving away. Huh. He better be. Wasn't he the one that said they have work to do? He'll suffer just a little more searching and then... WHY IS HE STOPPING AGAIN?! More girls? Unbealivable! Where are they putting her han... pervert!!! Kakei-san would be informed about this, certainly! Indulging in... compromising activities, during work time! Forgetting all about his workmate and the letter they had to retrieve! That bastard...

...ah, he was moving away again.

Kazahaya kept silent a moment more, thinking. So he quickly stood up and shook his arms.

"Hey! Hey Rikuo! Rikuo, I'm right here!"

He could give up the search at the third time, who knows.

*

"Hello?"

"Kudou-kun?"

"Kakei-san!"

"How is the matsuri? Are you and Rikuo having fun?"

"We are! I mean... un, a little, we're working hard, as always! So we, un, don't have that much free time..."

"I understand."

"We're giving our best!"

"I'm sure you are, Kudou-kun." *pause* "I called to tell you and Rikuo about a new information that will help with this job."

"Really?! That's great, Kakei-san! What is it?"

"I was informed by a childhood friend of our client that she went to the matsuri last year. She was seen arguing with her fiancé next to the old bridge of Suzumiya's temple."

"A bridge?"

"It's behind the temple. I hope the information may be helpful, Kudou-kun." *distant laughter on the other side, and something that sounded like _'Be patient, Saiga'_*

"Ah, um, I got it Kakei-san! We're... we're going to start searching right now! Thank you!"

*another laugter and a _'If you don't come here now, I'll get you right there'_* "Good luck, Kudou-kun."

*

After a rapid search, Rikuo and Kazahaya localized the temple and the bridge Kakei had told them about. It was cold near the stream.

Kazahaya stopped for a moment before stepping in, over the firm wood of the antique bridge, looking at Rikuo from behind the shoulder.

"If I touch something and faint..."

"Of course I won't let you fall on the water." he crossed his arms "You know, saving your ass's kind of an habit already."

"What did you say??? God, I don't know why I still ask for your help!"

"That's because you need it."

In spite of the cold weather, it was a magnificent view. The moon was full on the sky, and its duplicate on the stream's dark surface was like a silver fruit, on an arm's reach.

The old wood screacks beneath Kazahaya's feet.

He stops, doubtful. And a little scared, probably.

"Come. You don't need to be afraid."

"I'm not afraid."

Even so, he forcefully grabs the hand that Rikuo offers, quietly united to his without a word, fingers interwining slowly, asking permission.

Kazahaya walks more confidently now, yet cautiously.; one of his hands holds Rikuo's hand, the other one slide lightly over the bridge's handrail.

Rikuo feels the hand slightly sweated against his own. He asks himself why does it feel as if the act of holding that hand is the most important thing he did in many days.

*

Notes: I suppose everybody knows this, but there: matsuri is a typical Japanese festival, held on summer. I like this fic because it's full of trivial, sweet situations, like a retailed quilt (and I like this kind of stories the most).

Phew, I was afraid that this one would continue forever! I took ten days to write it. And he's long, also... too much information. Too much laziness to write appropriately. But, well, it's over!

Thanks again for the review, Werepire-san! It's such a shame that I had no time yet to read some of your stories... I hope I can compensate this situation on my vacation. :3 Many thanks also to Yumi Kei-san – I did really appreciate your praises as well as your corrections. I hope my stories are cleaner now, although I must ask if I got right all that you say or if there's something else yet to be fixed. I'm really sorry about the quotation, I didn't pay the due attention to it. After my end-of-the-year tests have passed, I'll take a day to read carefully the section of about beta readers – and I would really like if you could beta-read my stories, thank you. :)

Of course, another readers are also more than welcome to write their reviews. :) Thanks for reading.

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	5. Change of Mind

******* Change of mind**

Author: Ms. Desiree

Fandom:Gouhou Drug

Prompt: #5. Sortilege

Classification: Romance/ Humor - T

**Disclaimer: I own none of the characters; they all belong to CLAMP. The only things here that belong to me are the strange ideas I take out of my delir****ious brain.**

*

"Hey, Rikuo."

"Hm?"

"I think that's the most beautiful sky I've ever seen."

Rikuo was seated on the cool, wooden floor of the inn's balcony, still feeling fresh from the bath despite the hot windless night. Kazahaya was lying by Rikuo's side, his eyes set on the starry sky.

They just got back from the letter hunt. Kakei's clue had been indeed very helpful – the childhood friend was right; the client had been on the bridge. Kazahaya had played the main role again, of course – one touch on the right place and all the memories came, flowing and encroaching his mind like nothing that could be described. Rikuo had been there, holding his hand, and then holding his body. When Kazahaya woke up, the letter was already there – Rikuo had found it inside a jewelry box.

"_How?"_ he had asked, puzzled.

"_Y__ou told me where it was",_ Rikuo answered, _"That night, on the bridge. You're always speaking before you faint, you big idiot."_

Mission accomplished. It was their last day in the inn.

"How about you?" Kazahaya's voice was strangely hoarse, sounding somewhat older, somewhat serious.

"…what?"

"Have you ever seen a sky as beautiful as this, Rikuo?" he asked, not looking at the boy by his side.

Rikuo turned his head and glared, until Kazahaya's eyes shifted, abandoning the sky to settle on Rikuo's sharp eyes.

"…no, I haven't."

*

Rikuo had never in his life been bothered by lack of women. Since the time he had started feeling interested by the opposite sex, there had been lots and lots of girls at his disposal – all he needed to do was pick the one he wanted. And that's what he did for a long time, pretending to be satisfied with the insipid and meaningless relationships that always ended short after the beginning. He remembers that one day Tsukiko had told him, smiling, that it would be really fun if, in the end, his special person was a boy. That way he would compensate for all the times she had been obligated to deal with the girls constantly pursuing her brother.

Rikuo was not stupid – he was one to appraise beauty by itself, even when it was in another men's body or face. He supposed it was greatly due to that stray boy's striking beauty that his apartment was now a house for two (though during the months he had been working with Kakei, he was taught a lesson: nothing in this world was random).

The first time Rikuo had felt really attracted to Kazahaya – in terms of physical responses, like a man – was about a year ago. Standing at the bathroom's door, he saw Kazahaya changing in the bedroom. The jeans were somewhat too big on that too-thin body, while he stretched out to take off his shirt and then bended, reaching out for another piece of clothe in the drawer. For a moment, he also saw Kazahaya's face, the too-long bangs falling over his eyes.

Finally, when a blue shirt slided over the back being shown and put an undesirable end to Rikuo's voyeurism session, he suppressed an annoyance groan and quickly retreated to the bathroom.

All the while as he took a cold shower, Rikuo wondered since when the sight of a shirtless guy was enough to make him feel that way.

Maybe, he thought, it was some collateral effect of Kazahaya's power – some kind of bonus, some kind of spell, a sortilege: the ability to attract the others, made them out of their minds.

This explanation resisted for a couple of months, until Rikuo decided to face the facts and accepted that things were just this easy: he felt attracted by his stupid, noisy, sexy workmate.

*

"Tomorrow we'll be working on the drugstore again." Kazahaya says, after some time of silence.

"Are you looking forward to it?" Rikuo answers, closing his eyes. The scent of soap and Kazahaya's shampoo still lingers in the air, he notes.

"…don't know. I like this place. The weather's nice and the people are kind. I can have ice-cream every day."

Rikuo open his eyes and turns his head towards Kazahaya. "You're kidding. It's ridiculously hot, and I spend all my time on the ice-cream store shooing the guys that insist in ask you out."

"It's not like that!" Kazahaya closes his hands into fists and shows the most revolted of faces. "And… well, we can have ice-cream…"

"You're helpless."

Kazahaya decides to ignore Rikuo's complaints. "…it's pleasant to spend the nights looking at the sky. Being here was like taking a vacation – it was good to escape of all that mess on the drugstore. Well, of course we're here working for Kakei-san either, but…"

"Hm."

"But maybe… just a little…" Kazahaya turns his face (slightly pink-colored) away, "I miss my bed, you know. And the breakfast on the apartment. This… kind of thing."

Rikuo smirks, eyes closed. "…are you praising my cooking skills?"

"I didn't say that!"

Rikuo lies over the cool wood of the floor, and gazes at the moon.

The way Kazahaya sometimes ties his hair with staples, when it's a busy day on the drugstore. His attempts in cooking a decent meal in the morning, like it was the most difficult thing in the world. The times when he's too tired or too sleepy and ends up sleeping on Rikuo's bed, and the characteristic scent that remains on the sheets for many days after. The talks they have on the stairs, when it's too hot to wait for the sleepiness inside the apartment. The way Kazahaya lies sprawled over the whole couch, as if it was his exclusive property, which forces Rikuo to have a seat on the floor and feign irritation, when actually there's no such thing – cause in that position his face is closer to Kazahaya's.

"I miss a few things too."

Kazahaya contemplated for some moments the idea of asking Rikuo what kind of things he missed, but quickly abandoned the thought. Instead of that, he crossed his arms and rested his head over them.

Certainly, it was all about the free chocolate and that damn newspaper.

*

Notes: It's over! I'm relieved, somewhat sad but also very happy of finishing this set. Hahaha, this ending simply popped up on my head for itself, when I was absolutely unguarded (98 per cent of the fic was already written). I really, really love this story – in order to balance Rikuo's most intimate confessions, I've chosen an ending that shows how much yet there's to be spoken and arranged between them. And isn't that good – that means there's still lots and lots of stuff to be written! *ridiculously optimistical view*

Many, many thanks to Yumi Kei, that beta-read this fic and corrected my grammar errors, suggested better phrasing and was kind enough to teach me lots of things. Thank you again! I learned a lot with your explanations and remarks!

And that's the end of my set of 5 fics. I sincerely enjoyed the experience – maybe can repeat it again, on the future? :)

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